We love working with the folks at APDC and they have done a wonderful job at enrollments this year. This week, we wanted to highlight Asian Pacific Development Center and thank them for all their hard work in our community.
About Asian Pacific Development Center
http://www.apdc.org
The Asian Pacific Development Center of Colorado (APDC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supporting the Asian American Pacific Islander community. For 30 years we have been committed to providing culturally appropriate health, mental health, and related services to our communities. We employ a holistic approach to address the total well-being of individuals and families. APDC also understands that there continue to be barriers of language, culture, and generational issues underlying social determinants that impact well-being. So, when we begin to address poverty, education, employment, and access to a plethora of different support systems, we contribute to the empowerment and overall health of everyone. Our vision is for our communities to be healthy and empowered.
Integrated Care Services means the blending of our existing mental health and other services with primary care medical services to create a coordinated, comprehensive system of care. We are committed to offering easily accessible and affordable health care blending Eastern, Western, and Pacific Islander traditions. While intended to serve the AAPI communities in general, Integrated Care Services will target especially the indigent, refugees, and first-generation Americans throughout the Denver Metro Area and Aurora. With all of the regulation and health insurance changes this year, the APDC understand many people may find the process confusing or that some people may need assistance setting things up.
The APDC is here to help with any clarification! If you work weekdays or are extremely busy Monday-Friday, they offer this helpful service during the weekends and are open by appointment only from November 15th through February 15th, 2014. If you need to make an appointment to come in on the weekend, please contact Setu by calling APDC at 303.923.2920 or by e-mail at setunepal@apdc.org.
Meet the Health Coverage Guide: Setu Nepal
How does your role and your organization’s role in the community help provide support during this open enrollment?
First, before enrollment started, I would reach out to communities by attempting to educate and distribute flyers to the population or people who’ve never had health coverage. Many people, when they first arrive to America from their native country, don’t know what health care is or even understand that it is a requirement. So I started conducting seminars, workshops and individual meetings with our community. APDC and the Aurora Coverage Assistance Network helped by providing me flyers while the CEO of APDC helped publish articles, get me business cards and distribute those flyers to local communities such as the Laotian, Cambodian, Bhutanese and the Nepali people - That is how I enrolled many people initially.
What is a coverage story you would like to share with us?
Currently at the APDC, we have enrolled close to 52 people with Connect for Health Colorado, all qualifying for an “advanced premium tax credit” enabling them to enroll in a private health insurance plan. Additionally we have enrolled roughly 80 people for Medicaid with about 70% of them having been approved, while the remaining wait on a waiting list due to technical difficulties or a pending appointment. We follow a paper application so the client then works with their individual county by applying in person after they have completed the paperwork step with us.
Can you tell me a bit about overcoming language barriers here in Aurora, and how you can help bridge the language gap?
APDC is an agency that deals with and helps clients who speak over 50+ languages. So when a client applies for Health Insurance, we use an interpreter to decipher their needs. Some clients have their own interpreter but either way we have ‘navigators’ that can speak their language. I also speak 6 languages myself which can be very helpful when dealing with many people in a diverse and ethnic community or setting. Currently, our community mainly represents Nepali, Burmese, Karen, Korean, Chinese, Cambodian, and Vietnamese people. Jennifer from APDC helps organize and runs the Colorado Language Connection which really helps breaking down the language barriers while working with clients at the APDC.
